-plant lilacs in the spring or fall
-find a spot that drains well (lilacs dont like to sit in water)
-the need to get atleast 6 hours of direct sun a day
-space plants 10-15 ft apart (6ft for hedges)
-dig individual holes that are as deep as the plants container and
about a foot wider.
-mix a dose of rose food or slow release, low nitrogen fertilizer
into the soil.
tending tips:
water during the first summer
water deeply only 1 time a week
After a year lilacs wont require watering unless the region is
experiencing a drought.
food- lilacs dont usually need food after the initial planting
pruning- dont stress about pruning simply snip off the bloom stalks
once they withered.
every few years cut off some of the old.
making lilac arrangements:
-gather lilacs early in the morning when they are full of moisture
and at there freshest.
-snip tightly budded stems the length you want, cutting just above
where the leaves join the stem.
-indoors, recut them at a angle and strip off leaves that might
otherwise touch and contaminate the water.
-change the water in your container every 2-3 days resnipping stems
each time
-lilacs should last a week
Kelly in IL